Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2002

Tornado Warning 71, NWS Jackson, MS

December 18, 2002Ashley County, Arkansas

NWS Jackson, MS issued this tornado warning at Dec 18, 2002, 4:34 PM CST for Ashley County, Arkansas. It was in force for 46 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Dec 18, 2002, 4:34 PM CST (22:34 UTC)
Expired
Dec 18, 2002, 5:20 PM CST
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Jackson, MS
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Ashley County, AR

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Dec 18, 4:55 PM CSTTornado F0North Crossett, ARA tornado briefly touched down 5 miles north of North Crossett, toppling several trees along State Road 133. In addition, a shed was destroyed and the roof was removed from a barn. Producing no injuries, the tornado traveled about one mile before lifting.
Dec 18, 5:10 PM CSTTornado F0Huttig, ARA weak supercell developed within a multicellular squall line which moved east northeast across the area. Damage path consisted of numerous snapped and fallen small trees. The tornado moved through a heavily wooded region with no structures.

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Dec 18, 1:10 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Shreveport, LA (KSHV), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 176 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Shreveport, LA at 12:00Z on 2002-12-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 193 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Shreveport, LA at 12:00Z on 2002-12-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 345 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
193 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-333 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
639 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
345 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
511 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WFUS54 KJAN 182234
TORJAN
ARC003-182320-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
433 PM CST WED DEC 18 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  ASHLEY COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 520 PM CST

* AT 433 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 15 MILES WEST OF     
  CROSSETT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO...
  BE NEAR WEST CROSSETT AT 440 PM CST
  BE NEAR NORTH CROSSETT AT 445 PM CST
  BE NEAR HAMBURG AT 455 PM CST
  BE NEAR FOUNTAIN HILL AT 500 PM CST

A TORNADO MAY FORM AT ANY TIME - TAKE COVER NOW ABANDON MOBILE HOMES
AND VEHICLES FOR MORE SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. AVOID WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 3315 9234 3300 9223 3327 9164 3339 9177

The office that day

Everything else NWS Jackson, MS issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 18, 5:20 PM CSTTornado WarningJANAshley30 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 2002Every tornado warning in 2002Tornadoes in 2002

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.